The present invention relates to a sheet for an image display unit, a laminate for an image display unit, and an image display unit.
Conventionally, a image display unit such as a liquid crystal display devices, plasma display and organic EL display is provided with a glass front face plate on a front face side thereof (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2011-209695). The front face plate is provided for the purpose of e.g., increasing the strength of the front face side of the image display unit.
On the other hand, as the image display unit nowadays, in order to enhance realistic sensation, for example, a curved screen display has been also proposed that is curved toward a viewer side from the middle portion over both sides along horizontal directions such that distances between the viewer and the display become substantially the same for the middle portion and the peripheral portion of the display.
However, according to conventional glass front face plates, it is difficult to deform to give a desired curved-face shape after manufacturing, and further, it is necessary to heat at a fixed temperature for deforming to give a certain curved-face shape. Therefore, formability and operation efficiency may be inferior, and the heat may lead to deterioration of the quality of liquid crystal cell and the like upon heating. Also, a process of production of such a glass front face plate beforehand to meet a curved-face shape of a liquid crystal panel may be an alternative; however, in this case, it is necessary to prepare the product for every standard (curved-face shape) with respect to each liquid crystal panel. In addition, the glass front face plate produced to have such a curved-face shape beforehand is also disadvantageous in an increase of storage spaces.
Still further, use of a front face film made from a synthetic resin, in place of the conventional glass front face plate may be also envisaged. However, such a front face film made from a synthetic resin is, for example, in a case where a front face film formed from an acrylic resin is employed for enhancing the strength of the front face side, disadvantageous in that it is likely to be broken when curved to have a curved-face shape. Further, in a case where a front face film formed from a polycarbonate resin resin is employed, it may be disadvantageous in that because of high photoelastic coefficient, retardation is likely to occur upon thermal load applied thereto, whereby visibility may be affected.